Current projects

Fundraising activity continues across Cranstoun both centrally and locally within Services. Primarily raising funds and seeking donations (in kind) is undertaken to add value to the existing work being delivered and to enable other additional activities to be offered.

Find a sports event on the Just Giving Page Cranstoun takes part and organises several events to support it services. Check out the list of sport and music events here.

Cranstoun staff, service users, family and Trustee doing the Army Assault Course for a day (and a good cause :-) )

On Wednesday 15 June, staff, service users, friends and family will be testing their team skills via field exercises, experience a memorable bike ride, learn how the army prepares food when out in the field, push themselves and increase their self-confidence and sense of achievement via the Army Assault Course at Pirbright.


Why go through all that trouble?

Not just because we're a little coucou, no no! They will attempt to raise funds for the services they represent or by default the recently launched service for young people in Portsmouth called "SWITCH".
 
Those who don't know yet what Switch is all about:

It's a new service for young people based in Portsmouth. It offers of one-to-one sessions for young people who have concerns or issues with drugs and/or alcohol, orientate them towards positive activities, guide through career advice. It also offers support to families, friends, carers and other project workers on how to best approach/deal with these substance misuse and help their loved ones.

How to support them?

Click on the link of the service and team you wish to sponsor

o        Switch: http://www.justgiving.com/Cranstoun-Charity 

o        Cranstoun Oak Lodge: http://www.justgiving.com/OakLodge

o        The Base/Sisters Avenue: http://www.justgiving.com/TheBase-SistersAvenue

o        Milton Community Programmes: http://www.justgiving.com/KingHenrysWalk

o        Cranstoun City Roads: http://www.justgiving.com/CityRoads

o        Cranstoun CDA Warwickshire (Rugby): http://www.justgiving.com/Warwickshire

o         Cranstoun CDA Portsmouth: http://www.justgiving.com/CranstounPortsmouth

Alternatively, you can donate via your mobile phone by TEXTING "CRAN11 £3" to 70070  which is also a Just Giving system.

Thanks a lot for your support!!

Triathlon - Cranstoun Positive Futures

Support our team at the Eton Super Sprint Triathlon (Sunday 14 May 2011)

Sophie Erpicum, Kate Macauley and Steve Rossell will be doing the Eton triathlon and raise funds for the Cranstoun Positive Futures project.

Cranstoun Positive Futures' coordinator is Desmond McDonald who does a fantastic job: keeping young people (boys & girls) from as early as 6 years old to early 20 off the streets by organising sport activities via the football club "Lions of Dover" and army activities (ramping, going over obstacles, team building, becoming assertive, etc). The young people give back to the community by managing younger teams once they have gained sufficient experience in the activities they have done, which is a brilliant achievement.

Desmond is extremely dedicated as he does this mainly out of working hours during week evening and weekends - and when we mean nearly EVERY week and EVERY weekend throughout the year and… this voluntarily!!!

Thus, the money raised would be to provide football equipment, fund transports for the kids, provide hot & cold refreshments after the activities, etc. Little things but which means a lot for him and the children...

Click on the link below to support us:

For further details: please contact Central Office on 020 8335 1835.

We have already received a donation of £400 from Orange for us to purchase customised t shirts, which will be worn at this and other events to publicise Cranstoun. Watch this space for more information!

Cranstoun CDA Reading

Cranstoun CDA Reading has recently been awarded £2,000 by Thames Valley Housing Association to support the development of volunteer activity and peer support within a local estate.

We are also very pleased to announce that a total of £548.11 was raised by Julia Fox, Dan Chandler and Gerrie Sutherland for Reading CDA.  They took part in a half marathon to raise funds for the 10 year anniversary of the Service.

Cranstoun Oxford Women's service

Donations don't always come in the form of money - but they are still invaluable and make a real difference.  Oxford's Women's Service regularly gets donations of food from Prêt a Manger, and this is distributed weekly to local sex workers by the outreach team.  We are also currently awaiting the outcome of an application to the Freemason's Charity in Oxford for £5,000 which, if successful, will be used to further develop and diversify the complementary therapies which are currently offered to women accessing the service.

Dancing in the Street (Cranstoun CDA Portsmouth)

March 2011 - Portsmouth CDA has applied to Waitrose for a small grant of £300 to continue the dance activities that have been so successful recently.  We hope to have some positive news soon!

December 2010 - Funding from the Big Lottery Awards for All has been received to create a dance film that explores identity, the city, their environment and perceptions. The focus of the work is to not only explore old memories, but to create new positive memories for the participants.

The funding will enable us to work with members of a 'move on service' (part of Cranstoun CDA Portsmouth) which supports people in exploring different avenues in order to move on from treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Although the main focus is on education, employment and training the service encourages finding different ways for members to explore their identity and develop ways to live a fulfilling and sustainable recovery. The participants will use contemporary and creative dance to explore these concepts and then film the site specific performance in non conventional spaces around the city using both the beautiful and ugly architecture of the city as a back drop.

A new Crèche for Cranstoun CDA Reading

The idea of the crèche at Cranstoun CDA Reading came as a result from a needs assessment held with service users, and a visit to the OASIS Project in Brighton in July 2008.

The work has consisted of:

• applying for funding for the posts,
• securing capital funding for the refurbishments,
• re-designing the whole basement space,
• fundraising and shopping for toys and equipment,
• inducting and training crèche workers to this client group's needs.

Currently, we have 6 X 2 hour sessions per week. These sessions are staffed by workers from within Oxford Road Children's Centre. The sessions are spread throughout the week to cover all aspects of the day programme including the Parenting Groups run by Parental Substance Misuse Workers.

The new crèche can take up to 6 children at a time who are able to engage in activities including soft play, reading, water and sand and also arts and crafts. The children can also use the PC equipped with pre-school software and material. All exciting activities for the children!

So far, feedback from clients and their children has been positive. One client said that this was the first time her kids had ever had any childcare and that she would be more likely to use sessions provided in her local area. We hope that the crèche will encourage more parents to engage in treatment whilst knowing their children are in a safe and stimulating environment.

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If you are in the process of applying for funds or donations in kind, are in receipt of any donations or would like to make future applications - please contact Kate Macauley (kmacauley@cranstoun.org.uk or 0208 8335 1830 or 07805 067440).